randomplaces | Welcome to the Backwater

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Welcome to the Backwater

Picture a paved square, faced by the backs of various brownstones and ringed with couches of various sizes. One of the buildings is marked 'Visitor Centre', and beyond it seems to be a park of some sort. The paving of the square is white, and broken up into large square blocks that are so neatly set that there are no edges to trip over. Some blocks are missing, so that trees can grow out of these spaces. The square has a light scattering of couches spread around it, and these couches vary from something people from a no frills reality would think of as for dolls, to a massive white thing that's bigger than a mobile home. Between the square and the green space of the park is a road paved with common pavement made from old rubber tires, and there are trees growing wild all around that park. In the distance, over the trees, can be seen something that looks like a larger version of Mad King Ludwig's castle, and some sort of cliffs.

There are people in the square, many look human, and many don't. They mingle with mostly easy going equanimity, asking questions and answering them, chatting, getting oriented by reading books and pamphlets, or just selling sandwiches. Up in the sky, which looks fairly normal, float four islands that look something likes the ones off that movie with the blue cat things, and a flock of five houseairships, one of which is round. The Visitor Centre is an A frame with two windows and a door on the front, and a sign along the top that says, "Ask a question."

Welcome, newcomer, to the Backwater Nexus.

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Vik smiles up at Seaspray. She marvels at the contrasts and complexities of The Backwater's people. Never a dull moment, always new surprises and history to learn.

It's all wonderful and slightly head spinning, and she's loving every minute of it. But her old bod is tiring out. She ain't no spring chicken anymore.

Then the little one makes a very cute sound. Vik smiles broadly up at Seaspray, "hahaha! Aaww, someone's awake and making it known!"

Vik looks over at Aoife, "Destrons? What're those?" Vik smiles widely, clearly impressed with Seaspray's exploits, though she's unsure of the reference.

She looks back up at Seaspray, "There's so much I need to learn yet, but I'm guessing maybe these Destrons and tyra... tyraborg? I guess they avoid ya now, or are they spoiling for more?" Vik looks at the hints of Seaspray's muscle groups under her fur. She's dead sure Seaspray would bring the hurt in a fight.

"I have an idea I'd love to see ya in action Seaspray. That is if you ever get back into knocking heads together again." She smiles widely and thinks to herself, 'this place gets better and more interesting as time goes by.'

"Destrons are the soldier model bots who don't follow Megatron or the fallen. The ones that don't wear the Decepticon badge," says Aoife, her eyes going very green. "And that was Sandpiper trying to emulate his Uncle Jetfire."

Seaspray hums her laughter. "I'm married to a destron Seeker, and part of Blackout's army. Most of them are destron too. So no. They don't avoid me. And the tyraborg are too driven by the instinct to eat and assimilate everything around them for them to have any survival instinct." More humming laughter. "And once you tune in to Backwater TV, you'll probably see some of my matches on the pit channel."

She flicks her ears and glances toward the sound as that bass rumble booms out again and is challenged by the baby burp in her sling.

"Don't tell me Jetfire's drunk already." Aoife face palms, laughing.

"Nope." Seaspray ear-grins. "Just disorderly. He was drinking fizzy when I went to bring Eugenia to school."

Vik listens to Aoife, nodding her understanding. "Thankee. That helps! Man, there's so many things about everything here I need to learn about." she grins, nothing is boring here it seems.

She listens to Seaspray and nods, a smile spreading across her face. "Blackout's army sounds impressive! Maybe sometime I can meet all your family Seaspray, if there's ever time. Wow, there is so much to learn, and many people to get acquainted with."

She looks at Aoife, "Are they on the TV too, Blackout's army I mean?" Vik chuckles, "Gotta excuse my imagination; for a split second there, the thought of what Backwater hockey or football games might be like here. Or sports like those."

Then Vik's eyes pop at the sounds of various types of off-gassing ricochetting here there and yon, she chuckles and shakes her head.

"Life in this place seems full of spice for certain! I would *love* to catch your pit matches on Backwater tv, Seaspray, sounds like the very thing I'd love to watch and cheer!"

Then the little one in Seaspray's sling contributes to the burp-a-thon, which makes Vik cackle. "Haha! Cute!" XD

"You've already met two of Blackout's army besides Seaspray," says Aoife. "Mouse and Nineveh are adopted members, like her. And the guy that just took my girls to school's one that Blackout built herself. Yes. They're on TV in some of the matches too. Blackout's done some doozies herself." A chuckle. "But the only football or hockey you see around here are street games."

"I better get going." Seaspray turns her head and perks her ears. "I can hear Jetfire griping at Kida for trying to wash the dishes before I get back and have second breakfast."

Aoife snerks, her eyes very green. "See you. Bye, Jetstorm and Sandpiper! Next time put your pants on so you can come out and visit!"

Seaspray hums as enthusiastic razzing comes from her sling, then looks at Vik. "Was nice meeting you. I'll probably see you around."

Vik listens intently, smiling and nodding as Aoife and Seaspray explain everything to her. Then Seaspray says she's gotta get going, which makes her feel a bit sad. But she knows she'll see Seaspray again.

Vik smiles and waves, "Nice meeting you too Seaspray! And to you little guys tucked away in there too!" she smiles and says towards the tykes in Seaspray's sling, "I hope to meet y'all maybe next time." She smiles up at Seaspray, "Take good care of you Seaspray, have a super day!".

Vik smiles as she watches them leaving. She marvels at all she's learned, at everyone she's gotten to meet so far. Vik hopes she can meet more folks and discover much more about The Backwater.

Before she can stifle it, a large yawn takes hold of her. She slaps her hand over her wide open mouth, eyes popping tearfully.

Vik is feeling a good, old fashioned tired coming on. It's been a fun and full day, and she's grateful for every moment of it. But some way or other, she needs to crash for a while.

She looks at Aoife and smiles, yet another yawn trying to pry her mouth open. She succumbs as discreetly as possible behind one hand, and wipes at the yawn-tears with the other.

"Oh, good grief, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yawn so much." Vik absently scrubs her eyes.

"Aoife, I really thank you tons for being here and explaining all this to me..." (another insistent yawn *really* interrupts this time), "Good grief! I'm sorry 'bout that. Aoife? Would it be possible to catch a snooze someplace for a while, please? I'm afraid I'm awful tired."

Vik smiles a bleary grin at Aoife. Thank goodness it's just a normal tired this time, and not anything more.

"What're ye doin' makin' th' poor lady stay up?" demands a light voice flavoured with a touch of Cockney.

Aoife perks and grins, holding out a squeaking and wriggling Lowena. "Waiting at the agreed on place for you to get your baby back."

The tiny blonde girl takes the wiggly baby doll and cuddles her close, then glances at Vik with eyes that are much older and much less human than she seems at first look. There is a quick hint of amiable danger and something ancient and dark without being evil, and then both the girl and Lowena are gone.

"...Crazy aft. Okay, someplace for you to crash," says Aoife.

Vik's eyes blinked. She was there, she saw her, had her mouth open to say 'hiya', or words to that effect, but never got to, because the girl and Lowena we're just.. gone.

Vik cocks her head slightly, then looks sorta puzzled at Aoife. She shrugs, looks back to the empty place the girl had been, waves a wiggly hand-wave and says, "Nice ta meet ya.." in a soft, befuddled tone.

Vik looks back to Aoife, shrugs again with a small grin.
"Must be her 'rush-hour." then rises with a creak and a groan. "Someplace to crash sounds like a good idea, Aoife. And so says me bones, and the rest of me." Then she winces, teeth gritting, as her right knee pops an audible, adamant agreement. "Ouch-dangit!"

"No no no." Aoife's eyes are grey with concern again as the purple naga girl gently but insistently makes Vik sit again. "There's a ride coming for you. Don't hurt yourself. Easy, Rose. She's alright."

Rose backs off, her green eyes watchful behind the black curtain of her hair as it falls over her face, and her body poised and ready to assist again if needed. Her gaze is concerned and very clearly that of a person, but also plainly nothing human, and her touch, though warm, felt more vegetable than mammal.

"Okay," says Aoife. "Now, I'd offer you space at the boarding house that I run, but my front door has steps up to it, and all my main floor rooms are already taken. So the head pastor says to ask you if you're alright spending a night or two in her safe house. You'll be sharing the kitchen with three other couples, but they're mostly quiet people."

Vik smiles at both Aoife and Rose. The fatigue shows in her eyes, even though there's that mischievous spark there.

She relents, nodding in agreement as Rose helps her sit herself right back down. Other audible pops from a couple of other joints sound off. Vik winces but smiles through it.

"Good grief... ive got musical joints today." Vik says tiredly, and re-arranges her muu-muu and shawl as she sits down.

Vik listens to Aoife. "A ride? Oooh, oh man, heavenly. I'm very grateful, and won't mind that in the least. Thank you."

Vik studies Rose. Seeing the concern in her face, she smiles reassuringly and says softly. "I'm okie, sweetie, only tired. I'll be better after a rest, I promise. It's just old Vik getting older is all, I'll be fine, don't worry."

She smiles happily at Rose, "I hope I don't embarrass you saying this Rose, but you are very beautiful."

Vik then looks at Aoife, "You must be very proud of all your children, Aoife. Every one of them I've met today have inspired and gladdened me."

She listens as Aoife explains where she'll be staying, nods her head tiredly, "That is perfect Aoife, hehe, after all, kitchens always feel like home to me anyways. I appreciate not having to try steps, bless you for thinking of that. I won't be a noisy neighbor either. I think everything will be perfect."

Another deep yawn stretches out her sentence a little. Vik tries to stifle the intrusive yawn, but only manages to cover her mouth with her hand a little.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yawn so much. I suppose I must be really beat tonight." Vik pulls her shawl closer to her neck, snugging it with a sigh. Given a few moments of stillness, she's certain sleep will put her down for the next few hours without a fight.

"Tonight? It's not even lunch time yet, Vik." Aoife chuckles, then glances the way that Deidre and Violet went. "I'm proud of them, but wait'll you see Deidre after she's eaten catnip or found a box." She looks at Rose and then reaches to push back the girl's hair.

Then she turns back to Vik. "Being here will probably help with your joints. There's an anti violence field, so no one or nothing can hurt you if you don't want them to. Back when I first escaped I had a bomb go off in my head. It hurt, but the AV field kept me alive til someone could help."

"You're gonna give her nightmares," says a pretty little kelly green Transformer girl as she jogs up, followed by a large, muscular, bearded blond man pulling a rickshaw. The girl is about five foot five inches tall, with bright blue eyes. Petite and pretty, and currently serious, she nonetheless gives out the feeling that she can be a right bundle of sass if the occasion merits it.

Vik's eyes goes wide when Aoife says it's not even lunchtime yet. Then shakes her head slowly, "Well. Not entirely surprising," she chuckles, "I usually get sleepy around that time, or after I've eaten, and of course I have. Food coma I suppose?"

Vik looks back up and grins amiably while Aoife describes Deidre's antics, then looks shocked when Aoife says the bomb in her head had actually gone off.

"Wait.. it actually *exploded*, and didn't kill you..?" But Vik is distracted by the arrival of a pretty Kelly green Cybertronian girl and a sturdy-looking guy pulling a rickshaw. She chuckles as the girl speaks, gesturing in the negative.

"Oh no, not likely nightmares, but I am most definitely curious as all heck-and-gone! That's one story I *do* wanna hear once I'm rested and can brain well enough to comprehend it." Vik smiles and nods an amicable greeting towards both of them, struck all over again at the wonderful folks this world has in it.

"It's so nice to meet more new people. Call me Vik, or Vicki, many just call me Vik though." She rubs at her face tiredly, trying to scrub the fatigue out of her eyes and face.

The little bay tech girl grins. "I'm Mira, it's short for Miracle, but I only hear that when I've helped my brother Pi with one of his life experiments. This is Mack. Don't be offended if he doesn't talk to you, he can't. Are you alright with him picking you up to put you in the rickshaw? He's careful."

Mack is standing and watching the exchange, his gaze and attitude more like those of an amiable Doberman than a human being as he protects everyone here and waits for some words he can understand.

Vik nods and says, "Nice meeting you Mira and Mack!" She waves to the strong looking man. "I won't be offended, I promise."

She looks back to Mira. "Sure!" She says with assurance, "as long as Mack's able to tote 280 pounds.. emm.. plus or minus." Vik wrinkles her nose, "that's what I get for indulging in my home made pizzas and too many carbs lately. Butt-food." she says with an apologetic look.

Vik feels every bit as tired as she would be were it the middle of the night. She guesses it's all the excitement, and partly her not sleeping well the night before getting here, and tiredness for any other reason her body can dream up. She shrugs wearily.

"I'm not rushing saying this, please understand, but I am ready when everyone else is. I admit, I am one tired pookie. I hope I don't fall asleep before we get where we're going." Of course a giant yawn pries her mouth open at that moment rather rudely, leaving Vik to make the apologies.

Edited 2020-03-22 20:46 (UTC)

Mira's laughing her head off as she gestures to Mack and tells him, "She's hurt. Be gentle."

Mack steps forward and gently scoops Vik into his arms without even a grunt, though he's rumbling softly in an attempt to be comforting. Despite his demeanor, he smells like a normal, clean human being as he gently sets Vik into the padded seat on the little two wheeled cart.

"You wanna explain what's so funny?" says Aoife in the meantime.

"P...pookie." Mira snerks. "Pooka would have loved to hear that."

"Pookie... Oh.." Vik begins, and is gently scooped up by the softly rumbling Mack, who then gently settles her on the comfy seat in the rickshaw.

She looks up at him and smiles, giving the side of his face a soft pat-pat. "Thank you Mack, you're a sweet peach." She arranges her shawl and muu-muu and looks over to Aoife and Mira and continues.

She can't help giggling at Mira's laughter. "Hehehe, I'm hoping I didn't say something silly. Mira, for me, 'Pookie' is the name of a little stuffed teddy bear belonging to a cartoon cat named Garfield."

Vik grins, "I suppose I picked up the nickname, and it gets applied to anyone too tired to move anymore. Just like a soft, teddy bear would be."

She looks at Aoife, grins and shrugs. "I can be oblique sometimes, I forget people may not always know my reference."

Vik looks back at Mack, he seems different than anyone else she's met so far. She likes him quite a bunch. "Thanks again Mack, I don't think anyone's ever been that careful moving me around before. Most just chunk me around like an old sack o'taters. Very much appreciated, kind sir."

Mack smiles at her when she pats him, then looks at the laughing Mira with uncomprehending laughter twinkling in his sea-blue eyes as he steps over to the front of the rickshaw. When Vik thanks him again he looks at her alertly.

Mira nods and wipes at her eyes. "It's not silly. I know who Pookie is. But I know a little half Maximal baby named Pooka, and he'd just be thrilled about something having a name similar to his. He's the Black Dog from the Black Dog bar." She darts around the rickshaw and gets up on the seat beside Vik, then looks at Aoife. "You coming with?"

"Pooka's bigger than you are, you goober. And yes... ack, NO! I have to go catch Whirl and bring her back to the hospital!" She points to where a woman with insanely long blue ponytails and a very noticeable chest is dancing around in a little slip dress style nightgown which features a ;p face making smurf making a rude gesture with each hand and crossing the fingers over his head, then heads toward her at a run.

"Erm..." Mira shakes her head. "If Whirl's dress weren't nanotech I'd be afraid of moons." She turns back to Vik. "Aoife'll probably be back later, are you alright with me?"

Rose, meanwhile, gently taps Vik's arm, and then waves, paying no attention to her mother's pursuit of the cackling one.

Edited 2020-03-23 23:32 (UTC)

Vik smiles back at Mack, who seems quite the gentleman. Feeling comforted and content, she waves at him and wonders why he isn't able to speak. Then dismisses her ponderings; who needs speech when they're extra pleasant and kind-hearted without speech?

Then Mira bounds into the rickshaw beside her. She nods, smiling at Mira, "Yeah, c'mon up, I'd love to spend time with ya!"

Then a whirling woman with very long blue ponytails dances into view. Vik's eyes go wide, her mouth drops open. "Woooah Nellie!" she blurts at no one in particular.

"Yah, moons indeed, wow!" She comments and watches Aoife racing off to the ..emm.. happy woman in a gownlike slip thingie.

"Ack! Good heavens, she needs something like Nineveh's dress." She says softly and chuckles.

Then she feels a gentle touch on her arm. She looks over and sees Rose waving to her. Vik smiles and waves back.

"I'll hopefully see you later Rose." Vik thumb-points in Aoife's direction, "And umm.. take good care of momma, huh? Looks like she's got a right handful to deal with." She shakes her head and watches Aoife for a bit, then looks at Mira.

"For lunchtime, this seems pretty.. distracting! No dull moments in the Backwater today it seems." She snerks as she watches Aoife and the other woman.

Vik looks up at Mira, "So Pooka is *the* black dog of the Black Dog Bar, eh? And bigger than you - woah! That's some pup for certain!"

She grins. 'no dull moments and then some' she muses in her head.

Mira chortles as Rose nods and turns away to crawl off toward the trees behind them across the street. "Yeah. He's Blackout's grandson, so he's going to be big, even if his dad's smaller than me. He'll look like the King Kong of Alaskan Malamutes when he's done upgrading." A glance toward where Whirl and Aoife just whipped out of sight around a brownstone a little ways a way. "Nineveh? Oh her dress is nanotech too, and now I think I know where Whirl got the idea to make her chest that size."

Then she looks at Vik and grins widely as Mack lifts the bars and starts pulling them in the direction that Aoife and Whirl went. "This is a QUIET morning in the Question Square!"

Vik watches Rose take off in the direction of the trees across the street. 'She's a kind and quiet one as well', she muses to herself and smiles. That gives her hope.

"Wait, you said.. woah! That sounds like one awesome size - a King Kong sized Malamute?!" *blinks in wonderment* "Wow, that is waaay big!"

But Mira's comment about Whirl and her chest size puzzled her. "Uumm.. nanotech can do.. *that*?" Vik blinks and shakes her head, but Mira's comment gave her an idea.

"Hey, I wonder if nanotech could fix my bum joints and bones?" she glances over to Mira and shrugs helplessly, "Hey, if I'm gonna dream, might as well be big, right?" she grins, but realizes that's one dream that will remain a dream until she goes Home to be with the Lord one day.

Vik chuckles as Mack starts pulling them away, "Well, if this is a quiet day here, that only underscores what I've thought; there is never a dull moment here!"

Vik grins and they scoot along, she sorta likes the idea of no dull moments actually. Life as a homebound disabled person is one lonely life. Most of the time that suits her just fine. But she's missed safe, encouraging contact with people.

The reason she'd grown accustomed to lone wolf living was tons of bad experiences with people in recent years. Being hurt and used countless times, abused also.

Until now she'd not realized just how far she'd distanced herself from people. All to shelter herself from being hurt even more. She'd gotten to the place where she couldn't endure further damage and hurts anymore.

Maybe the reason she'd ended up in the Backwater was to finally, safely, break that awful cycle. She thanks the Lord most earnestly in her silent prayers. He knows best, afterall.

"No, I meant Whirl saw Nineveh the other day, and that's probably what decided her to look the same up there. I was talking about her dress." Mira shakes her head. "Though Whirl's things ARE nanotech. She's wearing a skin like you get for game avatars. Um. There IS healing nanotech, but it doesn't work for everyone."

The little green girl cocks her head then, as though listening to someone that Vik can't hear, then looks up at the human lady. "Aoife says to let you know that it's polite here to ask what people are."

Vik nods, considering Mira's words. "Thank you for clarifying that. Hehe, wow, I sure got all confused." she shakes her head at herself.

"However healing nanotech sounds like a wonderful thing. One can always hope, right?" she touches her lip with a finger, "wearable nanotech skin.. like for avatars? Hmmm.. all stuff I'd be interested in learning more about..."

Another intrusive yawn gapes her mouth wide open. She snaps it shut as she reminds herself of that old adage about catching flies that way. "Once I'm more awake though. Right now I don't trust myself to make sense of 1+1=2, ya know?" She smirks and hopes she can keep going just a little while more.

Vik watches the scenery passing by with bleary, tired eyes, she almost nods off. Then Mira tells her it's polite here to ask what people are. Her eyes pop back open.

"It is? Really?" Vik looks to the side a bit awed and then back to Mira, "where I'm from, asking that might get someone's face punched in." Yet the idea intrigued her.

"Well, this isn't exactly asking what someone *is* but.." she can't help instinctively lowering her voice, "why can't Mack speak? Was he born that way?"

There was concern in her face. Not all muteness is from being born a mute. Sometimes it's from an accident, or someone was hurt some terrible way. Sometimes muteness is from sickness or something else altogether.

Vik shook her head. She realized her thoughts could simply be from tiredness getting to her. For all she knew, Mack is just the strong silent type. And then Rose is so quiet.. Vik is too tired to remember if she'd even once heard Rose speak today. 'yep, I be tired if I can't remember that', she half heartedly scolds herself.

Edited (Avatar change) 2020-03-25 01:30 (UTC)

"Well, if you don't know what somebody is, how can you react to them the right way?" says Mira practically. Then she looks ahead to their source of locomotion, her expression sobering slightly as she thinks of the best way to answer without scaring Vik. Finally, she shrugs. "Mack's a zombie. His strain doesn't talk."

Vik listens intently, her head slightly tilted. Mira's answer made perfect sense. She wondered why she hadn't seen things quite that way before.

"Well, that makes sense, Mira. It *would* be hard responding correctly to anyone if you don't know what they are. Almost the same as if you didn't know who someone was.. wait, no; understanding *what* they are trumps knowing who they are." she says seriously.

"Frankly, it surprises me how much I'd never considered, before I got to the Backwater, that is. I've certainly learned to look at the world very differently since arriving."

She smiles as the scenery goes by. Then Mira's answer about Mack caught her by surprise.

She looks at Mira, not fearfully, just supremely surprised. Vik blinks as the meaning filters through her sleepy mind. "A zombie?" She looks away a moment, considering things deeply, then continues.

"His strain made him a mute then?" She thinks about that a moment, then shakes her head slowly. She's only scratched the surface of this world, and learning huge things she'd never considered before.

"You know, I shoulda realized, given the uniqueness of the Backwater and it's people, that even a zombie could likewise be elementally different than I'd ever guessed at."

She smiles at Mira, "I'm glad you explained. It was a puzzle for certain. And actually comforting somehow. Can't say I understand why, it just *is*. Thanks for telling me Mira."

She pats Mira's arm in thanks, "Mira, I got a long, long way to go in learning all about the Backwater and it's history and people." she sighs sleepily, "..so very much to learn yet.." and she yawns long and tiredly. Her eyes keep trying to slam shut on her. Vik shakes it off for a bit, but she's loosing the battle.

She smiles softly at Mack. She muses in her sleepy thoughts, 'yep, the strong, silent type for sure. good old Mack, a really nice guy..' and her eyes slide shut, a soft, barely audible snore is heard.

Edited (Typos) 2020-03-25 15:19 (UTC)

Moments later the rickshaw stops, and then arms are gently lifting Vik as the soothing rumble sounds softly again. They pass from the mild, bright, not sun of outside in this nexus between realities and into the slightly less bright light of inside a house.

Vik's dream had something to do with laughing hysterically at Starscream and Knockout running from Terrorcons. She chuckles in her sleep, muttering about Starscream squealing like a girl.

Then a soft rumble soothes her, she relaxes and sighs deeply. Her dream shifts to being picked up and carried by an enormous, purring kitty, who's face resembled Mack's face, including his beard.

In her dream, she's melted by the enormous cuteness of it all, and snuggles the huge, purring kitty, petting the huge, furry face as she might pet a little kitten.

Then her dream shifts again, and she dreams she's sleeping soundly, surrounded by gigantic mountains of warm, buttery sausage kolaches.

At first, she makes a confuzzled sound, then giggles, muttering something about discovering Kolache Heaven. One that she can sleep in. She dreams that she snugs a warm, melty slice of cheese under her chin as she would a warm blanket. She sighs and mutters something unintelligible.

Her sleeping face is grinning, and ever so close to drooling, mainly because she loves kolaches. And well, who doesn't drool in their sleep?

Re: messin' with the gal...

random_xtras - 2020-03-28 01:08 (UTC) - Expand

Re: messin' with the gal...

random_xtras - 2020-03-30 22:08 (UTC) - Expand

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